U.S. Accuses Australian Of Trying to Sell Secrets / Cash-hungry analyst stole military data, FBI says

David Johnston, New York Times

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, May 18, 1999

1999-05-18 04:00:00 PDT Washington -- A former Australian military intelligence analyst was charged yesterday with trying to sell more than 700 highly classified American defense documents to an undercover FBI agent who posed as an overseas spy, the Justice Department said.

In his job, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed yesterday, he had access to "top secret and sensitive compartmented" military papers from the United States, which he sought to sell to an unidentified foreign country.

The affidavit alleges that Wispelaere obtained $120,000 from the FBI in exchange for the classified documents. The Australian intelligence organization had obtained them under treaties with the United States that grant close allies access to American military secrets.

Wispelaere was arrested on Saturday as he arrived at Dulles International Airport on a flight from London for a meeting with the undercover agent.

If convicted of attempted espionage, Wispelaere could receive a maximum penalty of life in prison -- or death if certain conditions are met, for example if the material he is accused of trying to sell was related to nuclear secrets or military spacecraft. He also could be fined up to $250,000.

Federal law enforcement officials said yesterday that Wispelaere had been motivated by financial gain rather than ideology. In one tape-recorded conversation, the officials said, he told an undercover FBI agent that in late 1998 he had "a very dire, dire financial need."

He was employed at the Australian intelligence agency for less than six months, from July 13, 1998, to Jan. 12, 1999. Five days after leaving, the affidavit said, Wispelaere walked into the embassy of an unidentified country in Bangkok.

He produced a brown paper envelope. Inside it, the affidavit charges, was an American military document, classified secret, which related to another foreign country, and a list of classified documents that he was prepared to sell. Wispelaere also is said to have written his e-mail address on the envelope for use as a contact if the embassy wanted to buy additional documents.

Law enforcement officials said the government of the country that Wispelaere had approached tipped off American officials, who immediately set up a sting operation.

The FBI affidavit said some of the documents involved "could cause serious and exceptionally grave damage to the U.S. national security if disclosed to unauthorized entities."